Getty ImagesWhen Carolina Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford publicly bowed out of the Rick Nash sweepstakes, he mentioned former Washington Capitals winger Alex Semin as a player whose offensive skills he coveted. "We would look at Semin on a short-term basis," he told the News & Observer. "We wouldn't want to get locked in to anything, because we've all heard the stories about him. We do like his skill level. It could be that we could bring him in for a year, get to know him and go from there in terms of considering something longer term." Well, get to know him: Semin and the Hurricanes agreed on a 1-year, $7-million deal on Thursday. That's a $300,000 raise over the $6.7 million he made on a 1-year deal with the Capitals last season, no doubt compensation for Semin agreeing to a short-term contract. Said Rutherford of Semin: "We have done a lot of research about Alexander, and discussions about his fit with our team have included people at many different levels of our organization, including players, coaches and staff," said Rutherford. "What's been clear throughout this process was his commitment to wanting to play in the NHL, and compete against the world's best players. "Alexander's elite skill level and ability to score from the wing fill an important need on the ice, and we hope that a fresh start in Carolina will serve both Alexander and our team well." Was this the right move for the Hurricanes?